List of best-selling Christmas singles in the United States facts for kids
This page shows the best-selling Christmas singles in the United States. It includes artists from around the world, but it only reflects sales in the United States. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby is not only the best-selling Christmas/holiday single in the United States, but also the best-selling single of all time since the advent of recorded music, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
Prior to March 1, 1991, the only means of tracking sales figures for record albums and singles in the United States was via the certification system of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), based specifically on shipments (less potential returns) on a long-term basis. From March 1, 1991, through the present day, the Nielsen SoundScan tracking system has been more widely used to accurately track sales of record albums and singles at the point of sale (POS) based on inventory bar code scans, as well as digital music download sales starting in 2003. As of November 25, 2016, the holiday single with the most digital downloads is Mariah Carey's 1994 track "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which SoundScan estimates as having sold 3,200,000 copies.
Contents
Best-selling Christmas/holiday singles by Nielsen SoundScan data
This is a list of the top ten best-selling Christmas singles of the SoundScan era in the United States according to the Nielsen Company, as last updated on November 25, 2016. Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital download sales data at the end of June 2003.
Best-selling Christmas singles
| Rank | Title | Artist | Released | Label | Digital downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "All I Want for Christmas Is You" | Mariah Carey | 1994 | Columbia | 3,200,000 |
| 2 | "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" | Kristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monn & Katie Lopez | 2013 | Walt Disney | 1,600,000 |
| 3 | "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" | Savatage (later credited to Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which featured all Savatage members) | 1996 | Lava | 1,300,000 |
| 4 | "Mistletoe" | Justin Bieber | 2011 | Island | 1,100,000 |
| 5 | "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" | Brenda Lee | 1958 | Decca | 1,000,000 |
| 6 | "Where Are You Christmas?" | Faith Hill | 2000 | Interscope | 977,000 |
| 7 | "Christmas Canon" | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | 1998 | Lava | 918,000 |
| 8 | "Feliz Navidad" | José Feliciano | 1970 | RCA | 808,000 |
| 9 | "Jingle Bell Rock" | Bobby Helms | 1957 | Decca | 780,000 |
| 10 | "Last Christmas" | Wham! | 1984 | Columbia | 751,000 |
Best-selling Christmas/holiday singles by RIAA certification
This is an incomplete list of the best-selling Christmas/holiday singles in the United States based on certification by the RIAA. This list provides a more complete representation of the best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in history, as it includes those released well before the Nielsen/SoundScan era of music sales.
Digital singles
| Year of release | Title | Artist | Label | Certification award | Certification date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "All I Want for Christmas Is You" | Mariah Carey | Columbia | 14× Platinum | 2023-12-08 |
| 1958 | "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" | Brenda Lee | Decca | 5× Platinum | 2023-11-03 |
| 2014 | "Santa Tell Me" | Ariana Grande | Republic | 4× Platinum | 2024-01-09 |
| 2013 | "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" | Kristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monn & Katie Lopez | Walt Disney | 4× Platinum | 2023-03-17 |
| 2011 | "Mistletoe" | Justin Bieber | Island | 3× Platinum | 2021-01-11 |
| 1963 | "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" | Darlene Love | Legacy | 3× Platinum | 2023-04-07 |
| 1963 | "Sleigh Ride" | The Ronettes | Legacy | 3× Platinum | 2023-04-07 |
| 1984 | "Last Christmas" | Wham! | Columbia | 2× Platinum | 2019-12-12 |
| 2019 | "Like It's Christmas" | Jonas Brothers | Republic | Platinum | 2023-01-25 |
| 2018 | "Cozy Little Christmas" | Katy Perry | Capitol | Platinum | 2022-01-27 |
| 2018 | "What Christmas Means to Me" | John Legend (Featuring Stevie Wonder) | Columbia | Platinum | 2022-03-22 |
| 2017 | "A Ghetto Christmas Carol" | XXXTentacion | Bad Vibes Forever | Platinum | 2023-05-02 |
| 2017 | "Snowman" | Sia | Atlantic | Platinum | 2022-10-27 |
| 2017 | "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" | Gwen Stefani (Featuring Blake Shelton) | Interscope | Platinum | 2023-12-04 |
| 2016 | "Hallelujah" | Pentatonix | RCA | Platinum | 2018-02-09 |
| 2014 | "Mary, Did You Know" | Pentatonix | RCA | Platinum | 2018-02-09 |
| 2007 | "This Christmas" | Chris Brown | RCA | Platinum | 2021-10-01 |
| 1994 | "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" | Mariah Carey | Columbia | Platinum | 2022-03-27 |
| 1994 | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)" | Mariah Carey | Columbia | Platinum | 2023-12-08 |
| 1994 | "O Holy Night" | Mariah Carey | Columbia | Platinum | 2023-12-08 |
| 1965 | "Christmas Time Is Here" | Vince Guaraldi Trio | Fantasy | Platinum | 2019-01-31 |
| 1963 | "Winter Wonderland" | Darlene Love | Legacy | Platinum | 2023-04-07 |
| 1958 | "Run Rudolph Run" | Chuck Berry | Geffen | Platinum | 2020-11-18 |
| 2020 | "Take Me Home for Christmas" | Dan + Shay | Warner Music Nashville | Gold | 2022-02-03 |
| 2019 | "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | Pentatonix Featuring Whitney Houston | RCA | Gold | 2023-01-27 |
| 2018 | "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" | John Legend | Columbia | Gold | 2023-02-14 |
| 2017 | "Candy Cane Lane" | Sia | Atlantic | Gold | 2023-11-15 |
| 2017 | "Santa's Coming for Us" | Sia | Atlantic | Gold | 2023-11-15 |
| 2015 | "Noel" | Chris Tomlin (with Lauren Daigle) | sixstepsrecords/Sparrow | Gold | 2024-03-07 |
| 2014 | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Sam Smith | Capitol | Gold | 2020-02-11 |
| 2011 | "All I Want for Christmas Is You (SuperFestive!)" | Justin Bieber with Mariah Carey | Island | Gold | 2020-06-25 |
| 2011 | "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" | Justin Bieber featuring Usher | Def Jam | Gold | 2024-01-10 |
| 2011 | "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" | Justin Bieber | Def Jam | Gold | 2023-12-12 |
| 2010 | "Shake Up Christmas" | Train | Columbia | Gold | 2024-02-26 |
| 2000 | "The Christmas Shoes" | NewSong | Benson/Reunion | Gold | 2020-07-31 |
| 2000 | "My Only Wish (This Year)" | Britney Spears | Jive | Gold | 2023-10-24 |
| 1996 | "Chanukah Song" | Adam Sandler | Warner Bros. | Gold | 2009-10-05 |
| 1996 | "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" | Savatage/Trans-Siberian Orchestra | Lava | Gold | 2009-12-14 |
| 1994 | "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" | Mariah Carey | Columbia | Gold | 2022-03-27 |
| 1982 | "Hard Candy Christmas" | Dolly Parton | RCA | Gold | 2022-10-21 |
| 1973 | "Step into Christmas | Elton John | MCA | Gold | 2021-09-27 |
| 1965 | "Linus and Lucy" | Vince Guaraldi Trio | Fantasy | Gold | 2019-05-10 |
| 1963 | "Frosty the Snowman" | The Ronettes | Legacy | Gold | 2023-04-07 |
Cellular ringtones
| Year of release | Title | Artist | Labels | Certification award | Certification date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "All I Want for Christmas Is You" | Mariah Carey | Columbia | 2× Multi-Platinum | 2009-12-15 |
| 2003 | "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" | Elmo & Patsy | Legacy/Epic | Gold | 2008-12-10 |
| 2003 | "Santa Baby" | Eartha Kitt | Legacy | Gold | 2008-12-09 |
Physical singles
According to the most recent record album certifications, the holiday single title with the highest RIAA certification is Elvis Presley's 1964 single "Blue Christmas", which is certified Platinum by the RIAA (though its date of certification came more than ten years after the RIAA reduced the threshold for Platinum level for singles from two million copies to one million copies).
| Year of release | Title (A-side/B-side) |
Artist(s) | Label | Certification award | Certification date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "Blue Christmas"/ "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" |
Elvis Presley | RCA Victor | Platinum | 1999-07-15 |
| 1989 | "This One's for the Children"/ "Funky, Funky Xmas" |
New Kids on the Block | Columbia | Gold | 1990-01-09 |
| 1985 | "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" | Bruce Springsteen | Columbia | Gold | 1992-05-05 |
| 1984 | "Do They Know It's Christmas?"/ "Feed the World" |
Band Aid | Columbia | Gold | 1984-12-19 |
| 1984 | "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" | Elmo & Patsy | Epic | Gold | 1989-12-27 |
| 1982 | "Mickey's Christmas Carol" | (no artist listed) | Disneyland/Vista | Gold | 1989-05-11 |
| 1977 | "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (Story and Song) |
(no artist listed) | Buena Vista | Gold | 1994-03-25 |
| 1977 | "Frosty the Snow Man" (Story and Song) |
(no artist listed) | Disneyland/Vista | Gold | 1994-03-25 |
| 1976 | "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Story and Song) |
(no artist listed) | Disneyland/Vista | Gold | 1994-03-25 |
| 1970 | "The Night Before Christmas" (Story and Song) |
(no artist listed) | Disneyland | Gold | 1994-03-25 |
| 1959 | "Alvin's Harmonica"/ "Mediocre" (David Seville) |
The Chipmunks | Liberty | Gold | |
| 1958 | "The Chipmunk Song"/ "Almost Good" (David Seville) |
The Chipmunks with the Music of David Seville | Liberty | Gold | |
| 1958 | "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"/ "Papa Noël" |
Brenda Lee | Decca | Gold | |
| 1957 | "Jingle Bell Rock"/ "Captain Santa Claus (and His Reindeer Space Patrol)" |
Bobby Helms | Decca | Gold | |
| 1955 | "Nuttin' for Christmas"/ "Santa Claus Looks Just Like Daddy" |
Art Mooney and His Orchestra Vocal by Barry Gordon |
MGM | Gold | |
| 1952 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"/ "Thumbelina" |
Jimmy Boyd | Columbia | Gold | |
| 1950 | "Frosty the Snow Man"/ "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter" |
Gene Autry and The Cass County Boys | Columbia | Gold | |
| 1949 | "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas"/ "Yingle Bells" |
Yogi Yorgesson | Capitol | Gold | |
| 1949 | "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"/ "If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas" |
Gene Autry & The Pinafores | Columbia | Gold | 1969-11-10 |
| 1948 | "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)"/ "Happy New Year" |
Spike Jones and his City Slickers | RCA Victor | Gold | |
| 1948 | "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"/ "I'm A-Tellin' You, Sam" |
Les Brown and his Orchestra | Columbia | Gold | |
| 1947 | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)"/ "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" |
Gene Autry | Columbia | Gold | |
| 1946 | "Christmas Island"/ "Winter Wonderland" |
Andrews Sisters and Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians | Decca | Gold | |
| 1946 | "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)"/ "In the Cool of Evening" |
The King Cole Trio | Capitol | Gold | |
| 1944 | "White Christmas"/ "If You Are But a Dream" |
Frank Sinatra | Columbia | Gold | |
| 1943 | "I'll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams)"/ "Danny Boy" |
Bing Crosby | Decca | Gold | |
| 1943 | "Jingle Bells"/ "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" |
Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters | Decca | Gold | |
| 1942 | "White Christmas"/ "Let's Start the New Year Right" |
Bing Crosby | Decca | Gold | |
| 1942 | "White Christmas"/ "Abraham" |
Freddy Martin and his Orchestra | Victor | Gold | |
| 1935 | "Silent Night"/ "Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)" |
Bing Crosby | Decca | Gold |
See also
